Street and station annunciator.



E. C. BRULL'.

STREET AND STATION ANNUNCIATOR.

APPLICATION FILEDIOCT. 14. 1912.

' 1,148,572 Patented Aug. 3,1915.

3 SHEETS--SHEET I.

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E. C. BRULL.

STREET AND STATION ANNUNCIATOR.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 14. 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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o a o COLUMBIA PLANOGBAPH C0 WASHINGTON. D. C.

Patented Aug. 3, 1915.

E. C. BRULL.

STREET AND STATION ANNUNCTATOR.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 14. 1912.

1,148,572 Patented Aug. 3, 1915.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3- EUGENE C. BRULL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

STREET AND STATION ANNUNCIAT'OR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Au 3, 1915.

Application filed October 14, 1912. Serial No. 725,562.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EUGENE C. BRULL, acitizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Chicago, inthe county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Street and'Station Annunciators; and I do herebydeclarethat the following is a full clear, and exact description of thesame reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to thenumbers of reference marked thereon, which form a part of thisspecification.

Numerous attempts'have been made heretoforeto construct a street andstation annunciator adapted to accurately indicate or announce the neXtsucceeding stop or station of the street (or other) railway car orvehicleequipped therewith. Such devices have not heretofore gone intoany considerable use, largely for the reason that the devices whenconstructed, fail to operate with sufficient accuracy and reliability toprove dependable.

It is an object of the invention to afford a construction adapted "tooperate with the utmost accuracy and reliability, and so simplyconstructed as to be capable of operation for long periods of timewithout the attention of the operator.

It is also an object of the invention to afford a construction in whichthe motive circuit for driving the machine is derived from the trolleycircuit, and so constructed as to bring the indicator mechanism incircuit with th'e'power current to shift the mechanism successively toindicate the successive streets and to afford mechanism whereby mistakeor improper indication is impos sible.

It is also an object of the invention 'to afford a construction adaptedfor use on ordinary trolley cars 'orthird rail cars.

It is a further object of the invention to afford an indicatingmechanism of the class described, connected 'to'be impelled by thetrolley circuit and to afiord means making thecircuit with the motor"forthe indicator at a point between streets and to maintain saidcircuit until the indicator has been shifted and then to immediatelybreak the circuit.

It is also an object of the invention to afford 'an -'exceedinglysimple, compact and durable device adapted for immediate re- *versal topermit the-same to be used with equal facility when the car or vehicleis driven in either direction.

The invention (in a preferred form) is illustrated in the drawings andhereinafter more fully described.

In the drawings: Figure l is an enlarged, transverse section thereof,showing the indicator or annunciator installed in the car. Fig. 2 is anenlarged face view of the annunciator. Fig. 3 is an enlarged section online 3-3 of Fig. 2, with parts omitted. Fig. 4 is an enlarged section online 4:4: of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a section on line 55 of Fig. 8. Fig. 6 isa section on line 6-6 of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a section on line 77'of Fig.4, and showing the tape driving shaft in elevation, and the mechanismsecured thereon in section. Fig. 8 is a section on line 8-8 of Fig. 5.Fig. 9 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional detail of one of the spoolshafts. Fig. 10 is a fragmentary face View of-the indicator'strip ortape.

As shown in the drawings: 1, indicates the car as a whole, havingthe'annunciator indicated as a whole by 2, therein, and which comprisesa base plate 3, adapted to afl'ord attachment to the side or end of thecar, and a removable sheet metal casing 4, secured on said base andinclosing the mechanism of the indicator hereinafter described. Asshown, one end of said casing is closed by an end plate 5, which may beremovably engaged thereto. Rigidly secured on said base plate, areparallel frame members 6 and 7. Said frame members are'secured on saidbase 3, in parallel relatiom'and are in sulated from the face thereof bymeans of insulating feet or supports 8,0n which said I frame plates aresecured. The frame plate 6, is provided on its outer side or thatadjacent the removable end plate 5, with a transverse T groove near-boththe upper and lower ends thereof, and in which are slidably engaged Tbars 9. Said frame plate 6, is also provided centrally with a deephorizontal groove or recess having a dovetailed slot in the bottom'thereof,and in whichslidably engages an actuator bar,-preferably anarmature bar 10, of soft iron. Journaled on the upper ends-and lowerends respectively of said frame plates'6 and 7, are the composite spoolshafts, each of which-comprises a rotative stud shaft 13, provided onits outer end with a milled "head '14:, for manual engagement, andjournaled in-a suitable bracket '15,=on said -frame plate 6, At

the inner side of said bracket a ratchet wheel 16, is rotatably mountedupon said shaft and bearing on the inner side thereof is a flangedcollar 17 and mounted at the inner end of the stud shaft is a collar 18,the hubs of said collars in both instances being directed the one towardthe other. A pintle or gudgeon 19, is provided on said shaft coaXiallytherewith, and adapted to seat in a suitable aperture in the spool 20,while a gudgeon 21, secured on the opposite end of the spool seats in asuitable recess therefor in the frame bar 7. Secured on the hubs of thecollars 17 and 18, is a spiral spring 22, which permits the stud shaft13, to be pulled outwardly sufficiently to permit the insertion orremoval of one of the spools 20, and which also exerts suflicientfriction upon the flange 17, of said collar to permit said shaft to berotated through the medium of the ratchet wheel 16, or to permit thespool to be rotated reversely from the direction of rotation of saidratchet wheel as desired. The spool shaft journaled at the lower end ofthe bracket or frame plate 6, is constructed in accordance similarlywith the upper spool shaft just described, and is provided with aratchet wheel 23, corresponding in all particulars with the ratchetwheel 16,- before described.

J ournaled transversely 1 of the machine and between the upper and lowerspool shafts, is a shaft 24, and rigidly secured thereon are gear wheels25 and 26. Journaled in a suitable bracket 27, projecting forwardly fromeach of said frame plates, is a clutch shaft 28, having rotatablymounted thereon pinions 29 and 30, the latter constantly meshing withthe gear wheel 26, and the other meshing with a gear wheel 31, which isj ournaled on a stud 32, and which meshes also with gear 25. The innerend of the hub of each of the pinions 29 and 30, is shaped to afford aspur or tooth clutch, and splined on said clutch shaft is a slidingclutch member 33, the ends of which respectively are shapedcomplementally with the adjacent ends of said hubs to engage the sameand to drive said shaft from either of the pinions 29 or 30 thereby. Alever 34, provided with a yoke 35,-which engages said clutch member 03,is adapted for use in shifting said. member longitudinally of the shaftinto driving engagement with either pinion. The end of said leverprojects below the casing and marked on a suitable tablet or indicatorboard below the casing are the words In and Out to indicate which (ifeither) of the pinions is in driving engagement with said clutch member.When the lever is positioned centrally, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4, theclutch vmember engages neither of said pinions, and

hence the indicator orannunciator is neutral, or, in other words, is outof operation.

margins of the indicator or annunciator tape 38, as shown in Fig. 10,the ends of which are wound around the respective spools 20.

Pivotally engaged on the frame of the bracket or plate 6, on each sideof the central slot therein for the armature 10, are upwardly anddownwardly directed levers 39 and 40, the adjacent ends of which areprovided with slotted apertures, and receive.

a pin 41, secured on the armature therein, as shown in Figs. 3 and 6.The oppositely directed ends of said levers are provided with slottedapertures and receive therein pins engaged on the T bars 9, slidable inthe upper and lower slots respectively in said frame bar, and pivotallyengaged on each of said T bars in position to engage and drive theratchet wheels 16 and 23 respectively, are spring pressed pawls 43,which are at all times held in engagement with said ratchet wheels todrive the same oppositely.

Secured on the shaft 24, to swing thereon, is a lever, the downwardlydirected longer end 44, of which is provided at its extremity with aspring pressed pawl 45, which engages a ratchet wheel 46, secured on theshaft 24, to drive said shaft. The upper or shorter end 47, of saidlever, is provided with a slotted aperture to receive a pin 48, thereinengaged in said armature 10, so that reciprocation of said armatureserves to actuate said lever and consequently rotate the shaft 24. Aspiral pulling spring 49, is suitably secured upon the frame plate andon the lower end of said lever and acts to hold the armature normallyretracted, as shown in Figs. 3 and 6.

Secured upon said base 3, and opposite the end of the armature, as shownin Fig. 3, is an electro-magnet 50, one wire of which may be grounded tothe truck or track, and the other wire of which leads upwardly to thetrolley pole 52, as shown in Fig. 1.

The operation is as follows: The indicator or annunciator tape or strip,suitably wound upon spools 20, and appropriate to the trip the car isabout to make, is secured in place by slightly withdrawing the studshafts for the rolls to permit the same to be inserted into place. Theannunciator is then turned by means of the milled heads 14, on the spoolshafts until the proper street indication for the then position of thecar is shown. The adjusting lever 34:, is now actu ated. If the outwardtrip of the car is to be made, said lever is swung to the right and overthe word Out. This shifts the sliding clutch member 33, into engagementwith the pinion 30, so that the shaft 38, and the feed wheels 36, arethereby driven from the gear wheel 26. If it is the return trip, saidlever is adjusted over the word In, so that the drive is communicated tothe shaft 28, and feed wheels 36, through the medium of the pinion 31,whereby the drive is reversed from that of the normal direction ofrotation of the gear wheel 25. As the car proceeds, passing the firststreet, the electromagnet 50 is energized in any suitable manner throughthe trolley pole 52 and the armature drawn forwardly, thus swinging thelever 44, oppositely from the direction of movement of the armature, androtating the ratchet wheel 46, one notch, thereby driving the gear shaft24, and the gear wheels thereon and driving the pinion 30, shaft 28, andfeed wheels 36, a greater distance owing to said pinion being of smallersize. Said impulse of the armature also reciprocates the T bars 9, thepawls on said T bars engaging their ratchet wheels and rotating thesame; one notch. The rotation of the feed wheels 36, has drawn a portionof the indicator or strip from one of the spools 20, and is deliveringthe same toward the other of said spools. In consequence, some tensionis exerted by the draft of said feed wheels on one of the spools, whilethe slack of the tape is delivered toward the other. Under theseconditions, the appropriate spool (for example, the lower one) isrotated sufiiciently to take up the slack of the tape or strip, whilethe other spool, being held by the tension of the strip thereon fromreverse rotation, permits the ratchet wheel normally driving the same torotate independently thereof under the drive ofits pawl. This operationis continued until the end of the street is reached, or the end of thetrip, in each instance the throw of the ratchet wheel 46, one toothbeing sufficient to swing into view at the view aperture shown at A inFig. 3, the name of the street the vehicle is about to cross. The carhaving reached the end of its trip and being about to return, properadjustment of the lever 34, to the In position, will shift the clutchinto engage ment with the other pinion on said shaft, whereby said shaftand feed wheels are driven through the medium of the reversing pinion31, when the tape is fed out and exposed for view street by street, butin reversed order from that at which they were exposed to view duringthe Out trip. Should a car ever be taken from a given run and placedupon another run, the indicator strip may be quickly removed byreleasing the spools thereof from the spool shafts and substituting thespools of the proper indicator strip.

Obviously, the construction described obviates any tendency to injury ofparts by arcing, and affords an exceedingly positive and simple devicefor the purpose described. I have shown but one (and that a preferred)form of the invention, although numerous modifications thereof willreadily suggest themselves to one skilled in the art, and I therefore donot purpose limiting the patent granted on this application, otherwisethan necessitated by the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a street and station indicator for cars, a tape or strip mark edsuccessively with the names of the streets or stations and havingperforations therein, spools for feeding and receiving said tape orstrip, rotatably mounted feed wheels, pins thereon to engage in theperforations on said tape or strip, a slidably mounted actuator bar,means for reciprocating said actuator bar, levers to be actuated by saidactuator bar, a pawl on one of said levers acting with the movement ofsaid lever to drive the feed wheels appropriately for the direction oftravel of the car, friction clutch means associated with said tape orstrip receiving spools, and other pawls actuated by other of said leversand acting to drive said friction means simultaneously in oppositedirections, whereby one of said spools will be actuated thereby to windthe tape thereon, while the other will be permitted to slipcorrespondingly to unwind the tape therefrom under tension. 1

2. In a street and station indicator for cars, a sliding actuator bar, astrip or tape having streets or stations marked thereon successively,spools to which the ends of the strip or tape are attached, feed wheelsfor the tape, a lever connected to said actuator bar, a pawl thereonacting by the sliding movement of the actuator bar to drive said feedwheels to feed said strip to expose successively to view the names ofthe succeeding streets, friction clutch means connected with saidspools, and means actuated by said actuator bar for operating saidclutch mechanisms simultaneously in opposite directions, whereby one ofsaid spools will be actuated thereby to wind the tape thereon, while theother will be permitted to slip correspondingly to unwind the tapetherefrom under tension.

3. In a street and station indicator for cars, feed wheels, peripheralteeth thereon, a tape having the names of the stations successivelymarked thereon and perforated along the edges for engagement by saidteeth, rolls for receiving said tape, ratchet wheels for said rolls, adrive shaft, gears thereon and on the feed shaft and entrained to drivethe feed wheels in either direction, a clutch for determining thedirection of drive, a ratchet wheel on said driving shaft, a slidableactuator bar, a spring for retracting said bar, and pawls actuated bysaid bar to drive said ratchet wheel and thereby the drive shaft, and toroll up the previously exposed tape through the ratchet wheels on itsrolls.

4. In a street and station indicator for cars, a slidably supportedactuator bar, means for actuating the same, a station or streetindicating strip, a bell crank pivoted to be actuated by said actuatorbar, a pawl on said crank, feeding mechanism for the tape actuator bysaid pawl, a spring for retracting the actuator bar, ratchet wheelsoperating friction clutches for winding up the tape, and pawls alsoactuated simultaneously by said actuator bar to actuate the same.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presenceof two subscribing witnesses.

I EUGENE C. BRULL. v Witnesses CHARLES W. HILLs, Jr., GEORGE R. Moons.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

